Optical switch and optical switch system

Abstract

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an optical switch and an optical switch system capable of achieving optical path switching with less power. In order to achieve the above object, an optical switch according to the present disclosure includes a plate-shaped cladding provided with a trench in a thickness direction, opposing lenses exposed to the trench, two optical waveguides coaxially arranged inside the cladding, respective one ends of the optical waveguides being exposed to a surface of the cladding and respective other ends of the optical waveguides opposing each other in the trench via the opposing lenses, a movable transparent body that transmits light of the opposing lenses when the transparent body is sandwiched by the opposing lenses in the trench, and a movable double-sided mirror that reflects light incident from the opposing lenses in a direction opposite to an incident direction when the double-sided mirror is sandwiched between the opposing lenses in the trench.

1 . An optical switch, comprising:
 a plate-shaped cladding provided with a trench in a thickness direction;   opposing lenses exposed to the trench;   two optical waveguides coaxially arranged inside the cladding, respective one ends of the optical waveguides being exposed to a surface of the cladding and respective other ends of the optical waveguides opposing each other in the trench via the opposing lenses;   a movable transparent body that transmits light of the opposing lenses when the transparent body is sandwiched by the opposing lenses in the trench; and   a movable double-sided mirror that reflects light incident from the opposing lenses in a direction opposite to an incident direction when the double-sided mirror is sandwiched between the opposing lenses in the trench.   
     
     
         2 . The optical switch according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a movable portion configured by the transparent body and the double-sided mirror overlapping each other in the thickness direction;   a spring that connects the movable portion and a bottom of the trench; and   a pushing member that has a pushing surface in contact with an upper portion of the double-sided mirror and controls a pushing amount of the double-sided mirror into the trench by movement of the pushing surface.   
     
     
         3 . The optical switch according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the pushing surface of the pushing member is oblique to the cladding, and the pushing member controls the pushing amount of the double-sided mirror into the trench by movement of the pushing surface in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction.   
     
     
         4 . The optical switch according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 second opposing lenses exposed to the trench; and   two second optical waveguides disposed inside the cladding on respective axes parallel to the axes of the two optical waveguides, respective one ends of the optical waveguides being exposed to a surface of the cladding and respective other ends of the optical waveguides opposing each other in the trench via the second opposing lenses, wherein   the transparent body transmits light of the second opposing lenses when the transparent body is sandwiched by the second opposing lenses, and   the double-sided mirror reflects light incident from the second opposing lenses in a direction opposite to an incident direction when the double-sided mirror is sandwiched by the second opposing lenses.   
     
     
         5 . An optical switch system, comprising:
 the optical switch according to  claim 1 ;   two three-port optical circulators that output an input of light from a first port to a second port and output an input of light from the second port to a third port;   two upper optical fibers connected to the first ports of the two three-port optical circulators;   two connecting optical fibers that connect the second ports of the two three-port optical circulators and the one ends of the two optical waveguides; and   two lower optical fibers connected to the third ports of the two three-port optical circulators, wherein   light incident from any one of the upper optical fibers is emitted to any one of the lower optical fibers to function as a two-input two-output optical switch.   
     
     
         6 . An optical switch system, comprising:
 the optical switch according to claim  4 ;   two four-port optical circulators that output an input of light from a first port to a second port, output an input of light from the second port to a third port, output an input of light from the third port to a fourth port, and output an input of light from the fourth port to the first port;   two upper optical fibers connected to the first ports of the two four-port optical circulators;   two first connecting optical fibers that connect the second ports of the two four-port optical circulators and the one ends of the two optical waveguides;   two lower optical fibers connected to the third ports of the two four-port optical circulators; and   two second connecting optical fibers that connect the fourth ports of the two four-port optical circulators and the one ends of the two second optical waveguides, wherein light incident from any one of the upper optical fibers is emitted to any one of the lower optical fibers, and light incident from any one of the lower optical fibers is emitted to any one of the upper optical fibers to function as a two-input two-output optical switch.   
     
     
         7 . An optical switch system, wherein
 the optical switch system is combined with the optical switch system according to claim  5  to function as an N-input and N-output optical switch.   
     
     
         8 . The optical switch system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the three-port optical circulator or the four-port optical circulator is a waveguide type circulator.